Eyeglass clip for headsets

ABSTRACT

A clip for holding a telephone headset, the clip fitting over a leg of the eyeglasses worn by the user. The clip has a plurality of legs, of spring material, giving different spring combinations. The legs are arranged to provide differing gaps so that a wide variation of thicknesses of eyeglass legs can be accommodated.

United States Patet n91 Bonis 1 1 EYEGLASS CLlP FOR HEADSETS [75]lnventor: David Raynes Bonis, Putnam,

Ontario, Canada [73] Assignee: Bell-Northern Research Ltd.,

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada [22] Filed: Apr. 9, 1973 [211 App]. No.: 349,220

[52] U.S. Cl 24/81 PH, 224/5 A [51] Int. Cl A44b 21/00 [58] Field ofSearch 24/81 BA, 3 A, 3 B, 3 C,

24/3 M, 3 R, 3 J, 3 L, 81 CC, 81 CR, 81 FC, 81 CL, 81 CT, 81 G, 81 H, 81PA, 81 PH, 81 B, 49 C, 49 CC, 49 K, 11 FE, 11 PP, 255 AS, 255 CT, 255PH, 259 FF, 255 G, 255 P, 259 R, 255 R, 257 R, 84 A, 84 B, 84 H; 24/29A,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 292,412 1/1884 Covcll 24/81PH 1 1 Mar. 26, 1974 637,889 11/1899 Parker 24/81 PH 709,523 9/1902Strattan i. 24/259 PF 1,387,409 8/1921 Klokner 24/259 R 1,744,196 1/1930Ames 24/81 B UX 2,589,126 3/1952 Payne 24/81 PA X 2,858,539 11/1958Carlson 24/259 R X FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 245,740 7/1963Australia .1 24/84 B Primary ExaminerDonald A. Griffin Attorney, Agent,or FirmSidney T, Jelly 57 ABSTRACT A clip for holding a telephoneheadset, the clip fitting over a leg of the eyeglasses worn by the user.The clip has a plurality of legs, of spring material, giving differentspring combinations. The legs are arranged to provide differing gaps sothat a wide variation of thicknesses of eyeglass legs can beaccommodated.

3 Claims, 10 Drawing Figures EYEGLASS CLIP FOR HEADSETS This inventionrelates to eyeglass clips for headsets, particularly for holding orpositioning lightweight headsets as used by telephone operators andsimilar operators.

Difficulty arises in providing a clip for holding and/or positioning aheadset with operators wearing glasses. The form of frame and legs ofeyeglasses varies considerably and hitherto clips have not been capableof satisfactorily gripping all of the various forms and types. Anoperator may vary the form of eyeglass frame from time-to-time and ittherefore becomes necessary to change the clip and to provide more thanone clip, of various forms, to cater for the differing forms and typesof frames and legs. This is inconvenient, clips not in use easily getlost, and there is a tendency to avoid changing clips with change inform or type of glasses, resulting in unsatisfactory holding andpositioning of the headset.

The present invention provides a clip which is effective for a largenumber of different frame designs. It is capable of accepting a widerange of leg sizes -from small diameter round legs to the largerectangular shaped legs. A clip, in accordance with the presentinvention, comprises a shaped piece of metal having some resilience orspring, the shaping producing at least two spring combinations, thesprings acting sequentially depending upon the thickness, or size, ofthe legs of the eyeglass.

The invention will be readily understood by the following description ofan embodiment, by way of example, in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view of a clip for use on the right hand side of ausers head;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the clip in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a back view of the clip in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a view in the direction of the arrow X in FIG. 1,

FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and 8 correspond to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 respectively butfor a clip for use on the left hand side of the head, FIG. 8 is a viewin the direction of the arrow Y in FIG.

FIG. 9 is a cross-section, to a larger scale, through the top portionofa clip for the right hand side of the head, as positioned on a normalleg of an eyeglass frame; and

FIG. 10 is a similar cross-section to that of FIG. 9, but with the clipon a large rectangular cross-sectioned leg.

The clip 10 illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 is formed from a single piece ofmaterial, in the particular example stainless steel, of generallyrectangular form with an extension at one corner. The material is foldedtransversely at the mid-point along the longest dimension as seen at 11,to form a front panel or face 12 and a rear panel or face 13. Two slots14 are spaced apart and normal to the fold 11 to divide the front panelinto three parts 15, 16 and 17, the slots extending only partway fromthe fold 11. The center part 16 is cut across at approximately theposition of the fold 11 to form a leg, the remainder of the center partbeing removed. Thus, as seen in FIG. 3, the rear panel 13 comprises onlythe two outer parts and 17 joined at their ends by a transverse section18. As seen in the drawings, the front panel has three fingers 15, 16and 17, the center finger l6 stopping short at the fold line 11, theouter fingers l5 and 17 continuing over the fold and into the rear panel13 and being joined by section 18. The three fingers are joined in thefront panel by a transverse part 19.

Extending diagonally from one corner of the front panel 12 is anextension which is bent into a partial loop 20. As seen in FIG. I,looking at the front panel 12, the loop 20 is formed at the left side.The right hand corner 21 of the front panel is bent upwardaway from therear panel 13for ease in inserting a leg of the eyeglasses. The loop 20is also formed to extend upwardaway from the rear panel 13. Loop 20grips a cooperative part on the headset.

As can be seen in FIGS. 2 and 4, the center part or finger 16 is bentout of the plane of the front panel 12 toward the rear panel 13. A firstbend occurs at 25, the lower part of the finger 16 extending upward andrearwardly. A second bend occurs at 26, the remainder of the finger 16extending substantially parallel to the rear panel 13.

To attach the clip, it is pushed onto the eyeglass leg by inserting theleg between the front and rear panels 12 and 13 at the corner at whichis formed the bent upward portion 21. Thus a leg is inserted generallyin the same directionas the arrow X. As the leg is inserted the clip isswung, relative to the leg, so that the leg extends across the clip,being gripped between the front panel 12 and the transverse section 18of the rear panel 13. The leg eventually contacts the center finger 16.For a leg of small dimensions, that is of a diameter or thickness lessthan the distance between the front and back panels 12 and 13, the legis held between the center finger 16 and the rear panel 13. For athicker leg, or a leg of longer diameter, the finger 16 is pushed rightout and the leg is gripped between the front and rear panels. Thusinitially a first spring retaining action is provided by the centerfinger 16. A second spring action is provided by the two opposedpanels-giving a two stage action. This ensures good gripping actionindependent of leg dimensions.

The clip as illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 is for use on the right-hand legof eyeglasses. The headset would extend on the right hand side of theface of the user. The clip is attached to the headset by inserting apart of the headset into the loop 20. In the particular example the loopis formed to be a spring fit over the casing of a pivotal jointconnecting the boom of the headset to the earpiece.

For holding a headset on the other side of the head a similar clip isused but of opposite hand. This is illustrated in FIGS. 5 to 8. The samereference numerals are used for the same items and the action andapplication of the clip to eyeglass leg and to the headset is the sameas for the clip illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 except that the clips areattached to the left hand leg of the eyeglass.

As seen in FIG. 9, a leg 30 of circular cross-section is positioned inthe clip 10. The leg is of relatively small diameter and as the clip ispushed onto the leg 30 it first displaces the center finger 16 until theleg passes the bend 26. As the leg is pushed in further, the finger l6urges the leg against the rear panel 13 and also into the fold 11. Aswill be seen the fold 11 can have two portions, a larger radius portion31 and a smaller radius portion 32. The finger l6 pushes the leg intothe smaller radius portion 32.

FIG. illustrates the clip in position on a leg 34 of large rectangularcross-section. On insertion of the leg 34 the finger 16 is displaced andalso the rear panel 13 is flexed outward. Thus the leg 34 is heldbetween the rear panel 13 and the front panel 12 and finger 16. Thefinger 16 is more easily flexed than the rear panel 13 and an increasedholding force is provided for the large cross-section leg 34. For thesmaller normal leg, as at 30 in FIG. 9, the force is mainly provided bythe finger 16.

The clip is particularly useful for anchoring a headset when additionalsupport is needed. For example, for users who move their heads whileusing a headset-such as when looking up catalogues or other referenceand similar books, or for users who need to move about to some limitedextent, it is advisable to provide additional anchorages. Particularlywith the type of headset referred to above and described in theaforementioned patent application, it is useful to provide additionalsupport or anchorage. While the headset fits snugly over the ear and canbe stabilized by a stabilizer engaging with a formation of the ear,undue movement or tilting of the head can cause the headset to move oreven fall off. Where the user wears glasses, then the glasses can bemade use of to provide additional anchorage and stability. The clip alsotransfers the weight of the headset from the ear to the glasses.

What is claimed is:

1. An eyeglass clip for a headset, comprising:

an elongate piece of resilient material;

a fold extending transversely of said material to define a front paneland a rear panel;

said panels in opposed spaced apart relationship and extending in planesinclined toward each other from said fold;

there being two slots in said front panel extending partway from andnormal to said fold, said slots defining a center finger and two outerfingers, said fingers joined in said front panel by a transverse portionremote from said fold;

said slots extending across said fold and partway in said rear panel;

said outer fingers extending across said fold into said rear panel andjoined by a section remote from said fold;

said center finger extending approximately only to said fold and havinga free edge;

said outer fingers and said section in said rear panel defining anaperture extending to said fold;

a first bend in said center finger approximately at its junction withsaid transverse portion, the finger bent out of the plane of said frontpanel toward said rear panel;

a second bend in said center finger intermediate said first bend in saidfree edge, the finger bent to a plane substantially parallel with theplane of said rear panel, the free end of the center finger extendinginto said aperture;

an extension on one corner of said front panel said extension extendingfrom the transverse portion of said front panel diagonally relative tosaid fold, said extension formed into a partial loop.

2. An eyeglass clip as claimed in claim 1, said fold of substantiallyhemispherical cross-section.

3. An eyeglass clip as claimed in claim 1, said fold extending throughan angle of approximately said fold comprising: a first portionextending from said front panel and having a radius approximately equalto half the distance between said panels at said fold; and a secondportion extending from said rear panel and having a radius smaller thanthe radius of said first portion.

1. An eyeglass clip for a headset, comprising: an elongate piece ofresilient material; a fold extending transversely of said material todefine a front panel and a rear panel; said panels in opposed spacedapart relationship and extending in planes inclined toward each otherfrom said fold; there being two slots in said front panel extendingpartway from and normal to said fold, said slots defining a centerfinger and two outer fingers, said fingers joined in said front panel bya transverse portion remote from said fold; said slots extending acrosssaid fold and partway in said rear panel; said outer fingers extendingacross said fold into said rear panel and joined by a section remotefrom said fold; said center finger extending approximately only to saidfold and having a free edge; said outer fingers and said section in saidrear panel defining an aperture extending to said fold; a first bend insaid center finger approximately at its junction with said transverseportion, the finger bent out of the plane of said front panel towardsaid rear panel; a second bend in said center finger intermediate saidfirst bend in said free edge, the finger bent to a plane substantiallyparallel with the plane of said rear panel, the free end of the centerfinger extending into said aperture; an extension on one corner of saidfront panel said extension extending from the transverse portion of saidfront panel diagonally relative to said fold, said extension formed intoa partial loop.
 2. An eyeglass clip as claimed in claim 1, said fold ofsubstantially hemispherical cross-section.
 3. An eyeglass clip asclaimed in claim 1, said fold extending through an angle ofapproximately 180*, said fold comprising: a first portion extending fromsaid front panel and having a radius approximately equal to half thedistance between said panels at said fold; and a second portionextending from said rear panel and having a radius smaller than theradius of said first portion.